FIBA-Africa Women Tourney: Nigerian Clubs Assure Good Outing

First Bank and First Deepwater, the two teams representing Nigeria at the ongoing 17th FIBA-Africa Club Champions Tournament in Lagos are upbeat about their chances at the competition, which is ongoing at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Coach of First Deepwater Lateef Erifolami, captures the mood in his camp, saying “we have trained very well and waiting for the competition to start. We are ready to take on any opposition and very eager to take to the floor of the Indoor Sports Hall. We urge lovers of the game to troop out in their numbers to give us maximum support. I can assure them that we will give our best and hopefully come out victorious.”

His assistant, Shola Ogunade, added that the foreign teams coming to Nigeria for the tourney are no strangers having played against them at various times in the past.

“As a player, I have played against clubs from Angola, Mozambique and others. So I know them very well. Some of our players have also played against them. We are aware of the challenge we’ll face,”Ogunade, a former national team player said.

First Bank and First Deepwater have recruited foreign based players to their teams in order to boost their chances at the championship.

Players like Chinyere Ibekwe, Sarah Ugoke and Kanja Tanoh have since joined the First Deepwater and are set for the battle ahead.

Managing Director of First Deepwater Discovery, owner of the basketball team, Babatunde Babalola, who came to the rescue of FIBA Africa to accept to host and sponsor the competition after original host, Cameroon backed out, also underscored the readiness of his side to do the country proud.

“Psychologically, physically and mentally, the girls are ready. We have been training day and night,” he said.

“We are currently the seventh best team in Africa with the target to the number one team at the end of the club championships.

“We decided to sponsor the competition for the good of the game in the country and for the pride of Nigeria.”

First Bank’s coach, Adewumi Aderemi, said his team are ready for the challenge.

Rasheedat Sadiq, Adeola Olanrewaju, Joyce Ekweremadu and Helen Ogunjimi, who are all foreign based, will feature for the team in this competition.

“I am confident we will perform well in the competition; we’ve done our best in terms of training and hopefully this will be our year. Last time we placed fourth so we are targeting first position this time around. Four players have joined us from the US to beef up the team,” said Aderemi.

First Bank’s captain, Amaka Adebile, said: “We target to win this competition. We’ve been training so hard and by God’s grace it will come out well for us.”